As unpopular as this suggestion seems to be these days, I think the fact remains that for hunting at the ranges you are envisioning (or for that matter at 3 or 4 times those ranges) a quality scope topping out at 9 or 10 power will let you make any shot that presents itself in your lifetime. Frankly, even a fixed 4 or 6 power will do that. You don't need or want 56mm objectives, parallax adjustments, target turrets or reticles that look like building blueprints. That stuff sells scopes to the "extreme" crowd who want to shoot game at 1000 yards, or to the "tactical/precision" guys who print tiny groups at a mile...or at least they talk about doing it. A hunting scope that screws up the balance of your rifle, and is almost as heavy and long as the rifle, is a hindrance, not an asset.
It's hunting. You want durability, light weight, compactness, and good optical quality. For the ultimate in peace of mind, iron sights are a must, and as stated above a back-up scope is worth its weight in gold. I have hunting rifles that have clean barrels, or have scopes mounted in permanent, non-QD rings, but for the most part they are not used on any hunt that I can't walk to from my back door. For serious hunts that involve flying, being away from home for a couple of weeks and spending lots of money, there is always another scope in the bag, and a set of sights on the barrel.
Ask yourself this: when is the last time you saw a serious hunter in the field, in pursuit of big game (not prairie dogs or rockchucks), who had a 6-24x zoom scope with target turrets and an adjustable objective? Not the guys on TV, not the guys who sell the stuff, not the guys who write articles and advertising and have stickers and decals all over their gear, and not the guys who are on their first hunt for anything bigger than a squirrel...I'm talking about the guys who pay for their equipment and their hunts, and have some experience under their belts. You'll probably be able to count them on your fingers, without even taking your mittens off.
